Studio2 is a working art studio and gallery that, for 20 years, has provided a vibrant and inclusive space in which people with a learning disability and members of the neuro diverse community can explore and expand their art practice. We are a group of more than 80 artists, who come together with Arts Facilitators to inspire each other and to contribute to our rohe through the joy of art.

Our kaupapa is driven by the belief that art is transformational. By revealing the ever-changing ways we see ourselves and the people and places that shape us, art is providing Tangata Whaikaha and others across the world with new ways of throwing light on ableism – as well as foregrounding what we bring to our communities. As artists, we stretch and shake-up the boundaries of art and inclusion, and work hard to keep our mahi toi in sight.

Studio2 operates with the wonderful generosity of many community funders. In 2021 we were selected as one of the Creative Spaces across Aotearoa to receive the Manatū Taonga Care Grant, which for 3 years has enabled us to expand our opening days and the number of qualified Artist Facilitators. News that these contracts will not be renewed is devastating.

We would love to keep Studio2 and the Margaret Freeman Gallery thriving and continuing to brighten the lives of all who come to create, visit or experience the work we do. Feel free to pop in to one of the most vibrant and inclusive spaces you will find in and beyond South Dunedin. You will always be made to feel welcome.

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